Apparatus for moving and mining material of a granular and comminuted nature.



No. 821,372. A PATENTED MAY 22. 1906,.

A. MuDOUGALL. APPARATUS FOR MOVING AND MINING MATERIAL OF A GRANULAR ANDGQMMINUTED NATURE.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 25. 1902 2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

WITNESSES PATBNTED MAY 22, 1906.

A. Mo

APPARATUS FORMOVING AND MI AND'GOMMINU AY'PLIDATIQN NING TED 1) JUL UiNliTlElU JPrtTlEhtT Uh hll@l[ l. ALEXANDER uenoue-itt, ornutu'rn,MINNESOTA. \APPARATUS FOR MOVlNG AND MlNiNG MATERlAL OF A GRANULAR ANDCOMMlNUTl-ID NATURE" Specification of letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed July 25,1902. Serial 1%. 116.919.

roan whor ,t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Mellow GALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State ofMinnesota, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Moving and Mining Material of a Granular. and ComminutedNature, of which the following is a specification.

ThisinVentiOn relates to apparatus for moving and mining material of agranular and. comminuted nature--such as coal, iron ore, or other kindsof granular mineral, marl, ete.-which sometimes occurs in nature as abed disposed below a layer of earth or sand of varying thickness and isan improvement on themethod and means described. in my prior patents,Nos. 619,601,657,2d7,531,740,

547,496, and 604,628. This material is sometimes found mixed with alarge percentage of water and, as far as 1 know, has heretofore beenmined by mechanical means in the following manner: A shaft or shafts aresunk through the earth to the bed of material, and radial galleries arecut through this material, portions of it being left at intervals toform supports for the upper crust of earth, the material being carriedto the sl1aftbase in cars and hoisted to the surface in buckets. It thecrust ofearth be not thick enough to be readily supported, it is removedby means of an excavator or some such similar device and thebed ofminable material exposed. This material may then be mined by means ofthe same excavator. Pumps are provided to Withdraw the accumulation ofwater. The machinery required for this form of mining is very expensiveand being heavy and bulky is costly to transport to the mines. Furthermore, such mines usually being located. at present in sparsely-settledcountry, repairs to machinery are diliicult, slow, and expensive. Thesemines usually occur in a moderately level country, where attempts'to usethe ordinary method of hydraulic mining are impossible, owing to thelack of sullicient head of water.

My method generally is as follows: The deposit of material beinglocated, elevated groundconvenient thereto is selected as a base ofdeposit'for the excavated. material. .ltailway-tracks are laidconvenient to this point, and, means are provided for loading thematerial upon ears. Another. point at, a

elevation, is selected as a location for a reser cient depth and area toform a pond to co11- tain water enough for all uses. Adjacent to thisreservoir a shaft is sunk through the earth to the bed of material to bemined, and a sump or pit is made in the bottom thereof. In case theminable material is directly exposed. a shaft or pit of slight depth isfirst sunk and the sump then made in the bottom thereof. A pipe isprovided and connected with the reservoir and is used to supply water ata surlicicnt pressure at the bottom of the pit, preferably a flexiblepipe and nozzle, in ordinary hydraulic-mining practice, bcing used. Thematerial is loosened and dissolved by the stream of water and is carriedin suspension to the sump, which is preferably covered by a screen toprevent entrance of large lumps of material, and from there it iselevated, by means oi a pump located in the pit, througha pipe to theplace of deposit. The water therefrom will drain away and be returned bymeans of a canal or iiume to the reservoir. Ordinarily the minedmaterial will contain more than a su'l'licient amount of moisture tomake up for the loss oi water by evaporation and seepage, the surplusbeing allowed to overflow from .the reservoir. the crust of earthcovering the bed of material be not thick enough to justify galleriesbeing run, it will be removed over as much of the bed as is to be mined.This removal may be accomplished in the same manner as the othermaterial is mined, a proper location for the earth being securedseparated from the pile of mined material.

In some instances it may be found impossi, ble to get a su'llicient headof water in the ex cavating-pipes to properly force the stream againstthe material and break it up. This diiliculty may be overcome by usingan additional pipe and force-pi] mp, which may be located adjacent tothe reservoir or close to the nozzle or intermediate thereto. It may befound advantageous in practice to locate the force-pump alongside of theexcavatingump, driving both by the same power. A. creepump would be ofgreat service in excavatmg the top soil or when the bed of min ablematerial is situated at a slight depth.

In order to better understand the nature of my invention and the meanswhereby it may be carried out, attention is called to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

- Figure 1 1s a section; tln ougha pit, dump, and tank. Fig. 2 is a topview tliereoffand sensve Fig. 3 a section tnrough a pit, shaft, tank,and dump wherein the top soil is somewhat thicker than that shown inFig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a iew of a modification.

In all the several views like parts are designated by the samecharacters of reference.

The deposit of valuable mineral or material 1 is shown as lying below acomparatively thin layer of valueless material 2 in Fig. 1, but under asomewhat thicker layer in Fig. 3. The apparatus is modified as isnecessary, as shown in the two views, as depends upon the character andthickness of the layer of valueless material. :If it is comparativelythin or is composed largely of loose earth, gravel, or sand, it isnecessaryto excavate a pit or'cratar, as at 3. If the layer be thick orformed of dense earth, a shaft 21, with an enlarged base 22 andgalleries 24, with material left at intervals to form supporting-pillars23 may be made. The pit or shaft is sunk. adjacent to ground of higherlevel, upon which may be dumped the valuable material 4 directly into acar 4, if desired, (see Fig. 4,) with a second pit at a slightly lowerlevel to forma tank or reservoir-5. In the bottom of the pit isexcavated a smaller pit or sump 6. The relative levels of dump, tank,and sump are indicated by the letters of reference'fm B, and C,respectively. In practice the tank 5 will be at,

but'slightly lower level than the dump, while the sump will be as low aspossible in order to get a sufficienthead of water for excavating.

The water-supply pipe '7, with a flexible extrcmity 8, nozzle 9, andvalve 10, is connected with the tank 5 and supplies asufficient head ofwater to wash the material to be ex-. cavated into the sump 6. Thismaterial, carried in suspension with a relatively large bulk of water,is removed by means of a pipe 11. A perforated plate or screen 12 isused to prevent ingress of too large pieces of solid mate rial, such asmight choke .the pump.

The mixture of material and water is elevated to the dump 4. by means ofthe cei'itrif ugal ump 13 and discharged at 14. To assist t e action ofthelpum 13 in very deep pits or shafts, an additiona centrifugal pump 15may be employed and the number .increased qd tnfim'iwm, the lower pumpsforcing the material up for action of the pumps above. I have found inpractice that there is no centrifugal ump on the market that is able tolift the mixture of water and material a greater distance thantwenty-two feet, but

- the limit to which the same mixture may be forced is much larger. Itis of great.advantage to locate the pump adjacent to' the sump, asit isdifiicult to prime acentrifugal pump, and foot-valves are of but littleor no use when a mixturev of water and ,earth is being operated upon. Itherefore lay reat stress upon the advanta e of locating t eexcavatint-he ottom of the pit for the above-stated reasons.

'hydrau 1c 3 and base of the pit, the mixtureof water and There may beinstances m practice where the tailingsdump is at such a distance fromthe pit that a single pump will not be able to force the material. Itherefore provide the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4, in whichadditional centrifugal pumps 15 15 are used.

In some instances the level of the tank 5 at B is sufficiently elevatedabove the sump 6 at C to secure the proper head.- To increase thepressure of the water at the nozzle 9, another pipe and a force-pump 16may be used. Both pumps 16 and 13 may be driven by the motor 17 throughthe agency of the shaft 18 or separately. "The motor may be operated bysteam, compressed air, or electricity, as is preferred. The water fromthe valuable-material dump 4 is pumped to or drains into the tank 5through the canall). Any excess of water in the tank may overflow and beconducted away through a sluice or canal. (Not shown.)

water while the pipe 8 is being repaired, adjusted, or renewed anadditional valve 20, operated from the surface of the ground, may

be employed.-

lt is necessary thatthepump 13 be of s 1fficient capacity toefilectively, remove ali water from the sump 6 This water may directlyflow over the surface of the pit or may be the result of seepage fromthe surroundin locality.

For the purpose of cutting off the supply of .fy apparatus is operatedin the following manner: The deposit of material having been located andthe place for the tailings-dump located, the tank 5 and connecting-canal1.9 are dug. The pit 3 0r shaft 2] is then excavated. This may beentirely by direct mechanical means orit may first be started bymechanical means and the hydraulic apph ance brought into operation. 7The pipes and pumps are arranged asalso described. There h Water in thesoil willusually be found enouor bed of material caused, by seepage fromthe adjoining soil to partlyiill the reservoir 5. If there is aninsufliclent amount, water must he sup lied from some other source., The

et is caused to play upon the Walls solidmaterial that drains into thedump bein"; removed by the pump 13 and de ositedupon thevaluable-material dump? n the preliminarypart :of-the operation the pump13 may eject a mixture of valueless material the valuable-materialdump,so as net tcnux .with the valuable materia When'excavated.

When the bed-of valuable material is reached,

the stream of Water. fromthe nozzle, 9 is directed exclusivelythereupon, so that it may be ca ried in suspension with waterin-to thesump and from t ere be ejected by the pump.

r layer of formed 'unon The water for the valuable material will passinto the tank through the canal 19, and if too much of it escapes tolower ground it is pumped back to the reservoir. When the dept 1 orother characteristic of the surface soil justifies it, galleries 24 maybe extended through the material, additional length being arlrlecl tothe pipes 7 or 8 to allow a stream oil water being introduced into thegalleries. ll the ejected material is found mixed With sand or otherforeign matter, suitable means may be employed to separate the same,such means being Well known to thoseskilled in rial having the art.

Having described my invention, What l. claim, and desire to sccure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In an a iparatus for raising valuable material Whic 1 lies in a layerat considerable depth below a layer of valueless material, thecombination of the layer of valueless material having an openingtherethrough and eatposine; the layer of valuable material, the saidayer oi vali'iable material. having a chamherformed therein, and a sumpWithin the chamber, columns or pillars sustaining the roof of thechainher, a reservoir lornied inlet or inlets on the layer oi "valuelecsmaterial, a pipe or pipes connecting said. reservoir and passing;through the layer oi valueless material and entering the chamber Withinthe layer of valuahle material, means for directing a stream or streamsoi Water from said. against valuable material, a lift pump or puiui v.hin the chainher and having its or their inlet or inle Within the sumpand discharging out through the opening in the lueiess material. u on admn the layer of value ess materia pipe or pipes antl means connectingthe clump to the reser Voir whereby the same water may be used tor dsintegrating the aluable .material, carryl tea ing it in suspension tothe sump anti discharging it to the clump.

2. In an a paratus for raieii-ig valuable material Whic lies in. a layerat considerable depth below a layer of valueless material, thecombination of the layer of valueless mate an opening therethrough andere posing the layer of valuable material, the 5c said layer oi valuablematerial having a chamber within. it and of greater extent turn theopening in the layer of valucliss mate rial and immediately below saidopening, a sump Within the chamber, columns or pillars 5 formed within,the Valuable material and sustaining the rool. of the chamber in thelayer of valuable material, a reservoir formed. on the layer ofvalueless material, a pipe or pipes connecting, said reservoir andpassing through the opening in the valucless material and entering thechamber within. the layer of Valw able material, means For directing astream or streams clwaterlromsaiclpipeor .pesainst the valuable.material, a lift pump or pumps 6 within the chamber and having its ortheir Within the sump anal. discharginc out through the opening in thelayer of yalueless material upon a dump lormed upon. the layer ofyalucless material, and. a canal connecting the lump to the reserviiiirwh r by the same Wit-l3? may he useil for (ii tegrating the salsa i ematerial arrying it in suspension a the sump and (l .zliargi 11;; it tothe (lump l whereby an oji'ieuing in the layer of the t .luclessmaterial of the smallest size will be formeil.

This specification signed arul witnessed this 12th day oi July, 1902.

llfllahlliANlllER liloBlllill/llili. /Vitnesses:

lvlrcnaan l CHALK, DONALD ltlcliasuarr.

